Xiao Wu seduces Gu Sheng?! What a cheap slut!

Xiao Wu felt the wolf-like gazes surrounding her, her body trembling violently.

She shrank back in terror, searching for a place to hide.

But in this vast plaza.

Beyond the cold white stone floor, she could find nothing.

"Shrek Academy, what do you have to say?"

Bibi Dong stood on the high platform, her gaze sweeping coldly over the members of Shrek Academy below.

Yu Xiaogang stood with great difficulty, supported by Flender.

He looked at Xiao Wu on the high platform, then at the incomparably majestic Bibi Dong.

His lips moved, but in the end, not a single word came out.

What could he say?

Tang San had already escaped.

Those who remained had absolutely no power to contend with Martial Soul Hall.

"Dean, Aunt Erlong, Teacher Zhao..."

Xiao Wu looked at Flender and the others below the stage, calling out in a hoarse voice.

"Take me away... I beg you, take me away..."

Flender sighed and closed his eyes in pain, unable to bear looking into Xiao Wu's pleading eyes.

Although he was a man who valued loyalty and friendship.

He was also the Dean of Shrek Academy.

He could not sacrifice the lives of dozens of people from Shrek Academy just for one Xiao Wu.

Liu Erlong was even more distraught.

She looked at Yu Xiaogang with a sense of helplessness.

Yet Yu Xiaogang merely clenched his fists, saying nothing.

"It seems no one is willing to stand up for you."

Bibi Dong sneered.

"Elder Chrysanthemum, Elder Gui, take this soul beast to the dungeon and guard her strictly!"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Pope!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance and hurriedly bowed to accept the order.

The two stepped forward and roughly hoisted Xiao Wu up.

"Let go of me! Let go of me!"

Xiao Wu struggled frantically, but her soul power had been sealed by Gu Sheng; at this moment, her strength was not even that of an ordinary girl.

Her struggles.

Before two Title Douluo, they appeared so powerless and laughable.

"Brother... save me... Brother..."

As she was being dragged away, Xiao Wu kept her eyes fixed on the sky.

She was still hoping.

Hoping that the great black hammer would descend from the heavens once more to take her away from this terrifying place.

But until she was hauled into the gates of the Pope's Palace, only a few faint rays of sunlight spilled down from the dim sky.

That person, in the end, did not return.

Gu Sheng stood at the edge of the high platform, watching Xiao Wu's retreating figure, and shook his head with a faint amusement.

"Human emotions are truly laughably fragile."

He muttered to himself, his tone filled with an indescribable coldness and condescension.

Bibi Dong walked to his side.

"Gu Sheng, this time, it is all thanks to you."

Bibi Dong's voice was very soft.

She knew that if Gu Sheng had not stepped in to intercept Tang Hao at the end.

Even if she could have repelled Tang Hao today, she would never have been able to keep Xiao Wu, and Martial Soul Hall would have lost all face.

"You're welcome."

Gu Sheng replied indifferently.

"Your Majesty the Pope, I merely did what I had to do."

"As for what follows, you shall handle it yourself. I am a bit tired and will return to rest."

Having said that.

Under the awe-struck and complex gazes of the crowd, Gu Sheng turned around and slowly vanished into the shadows of the Pope's Palace.

After he left.

Bibi Dong once again withdrew the gentleness from her face, reverting to her arrogant and cold posture as the Pope.

Her sharp gaze, like frost, swept over everyone in the plaza.

"The Grand Competition is over!"

"If anyone dares to leak a single word of today's events..."

"Martial Soul Hall will hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"

Her icy voice echoed over the plaza, lingering for a long time.

The experts from the sects and empires who had come to participate in the competition felt as if they had been granted amnesty upon hearing these words.

One by one, they hurriedly bowed and retreated, taking their disciples and fleeing Martial Soul City in a panic.

They knew.

From this day on.

The landscape of the entire Douluo Continent was about to change.

High in the air, the clamor of the Pope's Palace gradually faded away.

Gu Sheng did not immediately return to his room to rest; instead, he turned and walked toward a side hall behind the Pope's Palace.

There lay a secluded secret chamber specifically used for holding important prisoners.

At this moment, Xiao Wu was tightly bound to a stone pillar by specially crafted soul power chains.

Her soul power had been sealed by Gu Sheng, and she currently looked like an ordinary young girl with no power to resist.

Hearing the sound of the stone door opening, Xiao Wu's body trembled violently, and she looked up in terror.

When she saw that the person walking in was Gu Sheng, the fear in her eyes reached its peak.

"What... what do you want to do?"

Xiao Wu's voice was dry, and she shrank back weakly, but the stone pillar behind her left her nowhere to retreat.

Gu Sheng walked slowly to her front, looking at her with a calm expression.

"Nothing much, just checking to see if the brain of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast also regresses after taking human form."

Hearing Gu Sheng's words, Xiao Wu gritted her teeth, and a layer of mist gradually welled up in her large eyes.

She looked at Gu Sheng's face, which was handsome to the point of being unreal, and her survival instinct forced her to suppress the hatred in her heart.

"My lord, please, let me go..."

Xiao Wu's voice suddenly became soft and boneless, and her body began to tremble slightly.

Her already tattered clothes slipped down slightly during her struggles, revealing her fair and delicate collarbone.

"As long as you can let me go, or... or persuade the Pope not to kill me."

"I am willing to do anything."

As she spoke, Xiao Wu looked up, her slightly swollen eyes flickering with a faint pink light.

Although her soul power was sealed and she could not use her charm skills, she pushed the natural allure of the Soft Bone Rabbit to its absolute limit at this moment.

She moved her body with difficulty, attempting to get closer to Gu Sheng.

"I am a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit. My lord must know what it tastes like after a soul beast takes human form, right?"

"As long as you spare my life, I will be your slave."

"No matter what you want to do to me, I will never resist. Rabbits... are actually very docile."

After speaking, Xiao Wu deliberately blinked her eyes, her demeanor fawning.

To survive, to see Tang San again, she no longer cared about dignity.

However, Gu Sheng just stood there quietly, looking down at her from above.

There was no extra expression on his face, as if he were watching a ridiculous farce.

The secret chamber fell into an eerie silence.

After a long while, Gu Sheng finally spoke slowly:

"Are you done acting?"

His voice was very light, without a single ripple, and there was not even a trace of being tempted.

Xiao Wu's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and the feigned allure in her eyes shattered along with it.

"You... you..."

Gu Sheng stepped forward slightly, his tone indifferent.

"Do you really think I would have any interest in a rabbit like you?"

"Setting aside the fact that you haven't even fully transformed, just the thought of you spending every day with that hypocritical little man makes me feel disgusted."

"That Tang San you speak of, when faced with life and death, didn't he just run off with his father and leave you behind all alone?"

Upon hearing Gu Sheng mention Tang San, Xiao Wu's expression grew agitated.

"That's not true! Brother wouldn't abandon me! It was His Excellency Clear Sky who forcibly took him away!"

Gu Sheng shook his head with disdain.

"The fact remains that you were left behind, and they ran away."

"But it doesn't matter; there's no need to play these cheap, seductive tricks in front of me."

"I am already married."

"My wife is a thousand, ten thousand times better than you."

"Compared to her, you aren't even worth a single strand of hair."

Having said that, Gu Sheng turned around, not even bothering to glance at Xiao Wu again, and strode toward the exit of the secret chamber.

"Stay here and wait to become a spirit ring for Bibi Dong."

The stone door slowly closed with a dull thud, sealing off Xiao Wu's desperate cries.

Returning to his own bedchamber.

Night had already fallen, and Martial Soul City was silent.

The room was filled with the faint scent of calming incense, the light dim and warm.

Gu Sheng pushed open the door to see a tall, perfect figure sitting before the vanity.

Hearing the movement, the figure turned, revealing a face of exquisite, ethereal beauty.

Golden hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her eyes were filled with tenderness.

It was Qian Renxue, having shed her disguise as Xue Qinghe.

"Husband, you're back."

Qian Renxue stood up and walked over to greet him with a hint of joy.

Gu Sheng opened his arms, pulling her soft, warm body into his embrace.

"Mm, I'm back. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Gu Sheng gently stroked her smooth hair, breathing in the faint, natural fragrance of her skin.

"I was waiting for you, Husband."

Qian Renxue rested her head against Gu Sheng's chest, nuzzling him like a young woman in love.

"You were so imposing in front of the Pope's Palace today, Husband."

"Even that Clear Sky Douluo, who claims to be the strongest on the continent, couldn't even withstand a single move from you."

"Watching from the sidelines, I was completely mesmerized."

Hearing his wife's praise, a warm smile appeared on Gu Sheng's face.

"He's nothing but a cripple relying on secret techniques to save face; he's not worth mentioning to such an extent."

"To protect his son, he even lost an arm; he was truly pathetic."

Qian Renxue looked up, her sparkling eyes fixed on Gu Sheng.

"That is only because you are too powerful, Husband."

"In this world, only my husband possesses such heaven-defying means to bring Tang Hao to his knees."

"You are truly amazing, Husband."

Gu Sheng reached out and pinched her delicate cheek.

"Why are you so sweet-tongued today? Is there something you want to ask of me?"

"Not at all, I'm speaking from the heart."

Qian Renxue pouted playfully, wrapping her arms around Gu Sheng's neck.

Their bodies pressed tightly together, and the temperature in the bedchamber seemed to rise.

"Husband, we are already married, yet you run off all day and never spend enough time with me."

Qian Renxue's lips pouted slightly, looking somewhat aggrieved.

"I was just dealing with the issue of that rabbit. From now on, I will stay with you every day."

Gu Sheng held her and walked slowly to the bed, lying down with her.

Qian Renxue, like a docile kitten, pressed tightly against Gu Sheng's side.

"Husband, hold me tighter."

Qian Renxue whispered, her hands gently stroking the lapels of Gu Sheng's robe.

"You must be exhausted today. Let me massage you, Xue'er."

"Very well, then I shall trouble my wife."

Gu Sheng closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle kneading of Qian Renxue.

The candlelight flickered, and the red silk curtains slowly descended.

This night was exceptionally long, and exceptionally tender.

The next morning.

Qian Renxue stood before a bronze mirror, looking with some reluctance at her reflection, which had returned to the appearance of Xue Qinghe.

"Husband, it is time for us to return to the Heaven Dou Empire."

"The toxins within that old fellow Emperor Xue Ye have accumulated to their limit; it is time for us to close the net."

Qian Renxue turned her head, looking with a touch of helplessness at Gu Sheng, who was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his clothes.

"Once we return to the Heaven Dou Empire, I will have to wear this mask all day long again. It is truly annoying."

Gu Sheng stepped forward and gently pulled the "delicate youth," who was slightly shorter than him, into his arms.

Although the exterior was Xue Qinghe, in Gu Sheng's perception, the person in his arms remained his soft and warm wife.

"Rest assured, once we go back this time and deal with Emperor Xue Ye, you will no longer need to disguise yourself."

"How can the dignified Qian Renxue live her life using someone else's identity forever?"

Hearing Gu Sheng's words, a flash of sweetness crossed Qian Renxue's eyes.

"I will listen to my husband."

Half a day later, a luxurious carriage slowly drove out of Martial Soul City, galloping toward the direction of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Inside the carriage, Gu Sheng and Qian Renxue sat side by side.

The "Crown Prince," who was majestic and cold in front of outsiders, was currently resting her head on Gu Sheng's lap, eating fruit peeled by Gu Sheng without any regard for her image.

"Husband, if Emperor Xue Ye passes away when we return this time, those old fellows in the imperial family might make some moves."

Qian Renxue said, her words slightly muffled.

"It matters not. With me here, whoever dares to act rashly shall be killed."

Gu Sheng's voice was very soft, yet it carried an unquestionable power.

Hearing this, the smile on Qian Renxue's face grew even brighter.

"My husband is the best."

Several days later, the Heaven Dou Empire imperial palace.

Inside the bedchamber of Emperor Xue Ye, a heavy and somewhat decaying scent of medicinal herbs permeated the air.

On the sickbed, the once incomparably majestic emperor lay with a withered complexion, his breathing faint.

"Qinghe... you have returned..."

Emperor Xue Ye opened his eyes with some difficulty, looking at "Xue Qinghe" as he walked in.

"Father, your son has returned."

Qian Renxue stepped forward, her face wearing a perfectly measured expression of worry and grief.

"I have sought out a famous physician while abroad; he will surely be able to cure Father's illness."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue stepped aside, revealing Gu Sheng who was following behind her.

Emperor Xue Ye looked at Gu Sheng with some effort and shook his head slightly.

"It is useless... I know my own body; I fear I will not last these next few days."

"Qinghe, the empire... shall be left to you from now on..."

Gu Sheng stepped forward and quietly looked at the old man lying on the bed.

He could feel that the vitality within Emperor Xue Ye had indeed been severed; he was now merely clinging to his final breath with the help of precious medicinal herbs.

"Since you know you cannot hold on, then rest early, Your Majesty."

Gu Sheng's voice rang out abruptly within the bedchamber.